In the treatment of wounds or pressure ulcers, it is often advantageous to raise or immobilize the affected area such that proper healing can occur. The raising of the portion of the anatomy that is affected allows blood to flow to the area that can carry oxygen and other nutrients to the wound or ulcer to assist in the healing process. Additionally, individuals who are unable to move due to injury, old age, or other condition can develop pressure ulcers from prolonged contact between certain parts of the body and support surfaces such as a bed. Individuals susceptible to pressure ulcers are often moved or rotated to prevent pressure ulcers from occurring. The raising of certain body parts above the support surface or bed can also assist in the prevention of pressure ulcers.
In order to assist in the healing of wounds or ulcers or to prevent pressure ulcers from occurring a structure such as a pillow can be placed under an affected or at risk body part. Often, though, the pillow moves or slides out of position causing discomfort for the individual or causing the affected body part to return to its position against the bed. The movement of pillows or structures used to raise body parts limits the effectiveness of such treatment and can lead to prolonged healing time or the development of pressure ulcers.
Therefore, there exists a need for a device to retain a pillow or other structure in position relative to a bed, chair or other piece of furniture such that when an injured body part or at risk body part is raised it remains comfortably raised such that healing and blood flow can occur. Such a device is needed that can be easily used in a variety of environments and configurations such as on hospital beds and other medical support structures. Further needed aspects of a device include the ability to be easily removed, re-positioned, and locked and unlocked into position relative to the bed or other support structure. A wide variety of hospital beds and bed platforms exist such that the versatility of the device and the versatility of the retention feature of the device are useful aspects of a pillow retention device.